PSYC 4600 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Limbic System, Grey Matter, Myelin
15 Dec 2015
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Document Summary
Facts about the human brain rather than the rule. Neurons only connect with a small subset of neurons. Neurons make up only 10% of the cells in our brain. Other cells are called glia and they perform vital support functions. It is no longer believed that neurons in the brain are incapable of being regenerated: the idea is now untenable, at least in the dentate gyrus. Identical twins do not have anatomically identical brains: cortical gyral pattern is determined primarily by non-genetic factors, but brain size is strongly heritable. Men have larger brains than women, but women have more folded brains. Neuron: a type of cell that makes up the nervous system and supports, amongst other things, cognitive function. Cell body (soma): part of the neuron containing the nucleus and other organelles. Dendrites: branching structures that carry information from other neurons. Axon: a branching structure that carries information to other neurons and transmits an action potential.
